Last year at this time, I wrote a post about commemorating the lives of those who died for a cause, fought for their country or died from natural catastrophes. Last year was a pretty intense year. This year, I will say more of my focus has been on the uprising in Syria and the cruelty that has been used against the Syrians pleading for freedom and democracy. While we were celebrating Memorial Day and remembering the lives of our fellow Americans who died at war, the town of Homs and my fellow Syrians found a reason to have their own Memorial Day, as Syrians were massacred and brutalized. Over 100 people were killed, more than half of them women and children, in an 18-hour bombardment, murdering people in the privacy of their own homes.

I pray that the people who have the power to make a change will open their eyes and publicly condemn those responsible for killing the innocent Syrian people. I hope that the people trying to raise awareness will be heard and helped, and I hope that the UN Human Rights Council will finally take action against the violence in Syria, as they have failed to do in the past. It is time for these crimes against humanity to be tried and punished, and it is time for the Syrian people to be granted their freedom. Most importantly, it’s time for peace and security for Syria. I pray and hope for a better future.